LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The name of Mr. R. J. Dears was omitted from tin- directorate of the Taj-analii Iron Smelters' Company .in our report of the animal meeting on Saturday. Mr. A. Morton, chairman of the National Dairy Association, doe 3 not anticipate any serious shortage of shipping space this season. He states that the Turakina, which leaves the 'Dominion on November il, will lift all the butter and cheese that is in the Moturoa freezing works.

"It was you, sir, who refused to let the Moa Road Board become a County Council," said Mr Trimble to Hon. W. Fraser at Saturday's meeting. "That's quite true; I did," said the .Minster; "there, are already far too many County Councils in New Zealand.''

The attention of householders and other persons in charge of dwellings is directed to an advertisement in another co'umn notifying that all census schedules will be called for to-day, or as soon after as practicable. The. enumerators will be greatly assisted and tbe work of collection will be much easier if householders will see that every item 011 the schedule is properly completed. Any failure to comply with the law renders the person responsible liable to a penalty of £2O. About 10.30 on Friday Mr. R. Cock, who was standing on the footpath in front of his dining-rooms in Brougham Street, noticed a glare of fire in the right-of-way and Newton King's block. On investigation' it was found that a lavatory was in flames, which, however, we.'c speedily quenched with a few buckets of water. Apparently some kerosene had been poured over the floor and a match applied, a.s the odour of kerosene was most perceptible.

An inci'icnt which caused no little sur-pri-e during the school swimming championship held at the' tepid saltwater batlu in Auek.and, was the appearance on the scene of a tiny tot of five years. Not content with swimming one length of the bath, the diminutive iasa negotiated thp return by swimming on her back lo the starting-point. As a fi:.ale she executed a very neat running dive from the springboard, to the amazement of the lerge crowd assembled. The little girl is the daughter of Mr. M. ClmiU|.'Wi], the caretaker of the baths, whese name is famous in swimming circles

The Acting Prime Minister (Hon. J. Ailejj'. s-Htes, according to a Press Association telegram from Auckland, that all shortages are included in the quota* called up for the twenty-second draft, and the October draft comes in with the fuli nmnicrs asked for. There will be no shoitage of any kind whatever in camp. The Minister added: ''The machinery of the Military Service Act it> being j'dt into operation as fast as is humanely possible. It was grossly unfair to say that there had been any deliberate delay. If there were shortages in tne twenty-second draft they would certainly be made up subsequently. The 'family shirker' clause was now 'n force."

Saturday was a red letter day for the New Plymouth Scouts the day so long liorcd for when they would be afloat in their own boat. Two crews were picked and the boat was launched under the direction of the master, Mr. Thoitiso::, assisted by Weki Skipper. The fir-t lessons in rowing were soon in full swir.g and the scouts ddi very well, and in about half-an-hour they were able to pull out clear of the breakwater. In the meantime others had prepared the shed for it., new occupant, and at 4.30 the boat was benched and run up into her new <iu;.!trrs. A meeting was then held, at which it was decided to name the l; r a 1 "Taimii," and the troop will oe known as the "Calliope" erew, after the J'r!ti.ii .ship which escaped many years ago from Apia harbor, when several Oman and American ships were lost.

From the Now Plymouth Mountain House nn Thursday last two officers from Featherston camp (Lieutenants Matthews and Mackiey) and Messrs Girdlcstonc and Kershaw, from Wellington, made the ascent of Mount Kgniont. Winter conditions prevailed, -hut the ascent was made in a. little over four hours, step-cutting hardly bavins: to he taken on. While lunching, the heavy fog (which had prevailed right from the start) lifted, and a glorious view of the magnificent ice formations was obtained, and quite one and a half hours was spent in the crater. No doubt to see Egmont. in all her glory the ascent should be made prior to the end of November. The party glissaded from the crater to Humphries' Castle almost without a break. Mr. Williams acted as guide. The (lav previous to the ascent, the two officers mentioned made tiie trip to Dawson Falls, and on the day following Messrs (iirdlcstone and Kershaw made the same trip, the track now being freed from frozen snow. The pass through the Mangamti Gorge is in very good order, the path to the Dawson Falls liou.-e also being perfect, and water scenerv magnificent.

Th" Christinas "smokes'' for soldiers' tin. specially prepared by the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee, will assuredly b. l one of the most popular gifts for the men at the front. The tin contains four plugs of Havelock tobacco and five packets of Thh'c Castles ■nrarettes, and is put up in a specially designed c.lnred label. Stamped ready for posting it cost; only lis. Bought in the ordinary wa> it could not be got for less than (Is (id Orders are, being taken by *hc Tarnnnki' Daily N>ws, .T. Avery, Ltd., 0. Carter, J. Abbott, fiilmour and t.'.nrke. Country readers maysend any of the above, with soldier's !ull n l.lre.'t and n small card or note to be enclosed. The tin, like a letter, goes straight to the soldier, and will be posted in time to reach him for Christmas.—W. -T. Chancy, lion, treasurer. Boys' Petone flannels, 2s lid, at the Melbourne, Ltd.; men's lioslvn and Petone flannels, 4,s lid; men's red, drab and natural singlets, Is lid; pants to i match, 2s lid; large red oi blue spot handkerchiefs, (id each; men's cord trousers, 8s lid; men's pyjamas, 5s fid; men's all pure wool tweed suits, 3Ss (id; men's odd tweed vests, 4s lid; men's allwool knitted socks, is 3d, Is (Id, Is fld pair; men's Ilorrockscs' tennis shirts, 3s ldd and 4s lid. The Frankley Ttoad Dairy Company invite tenders for quarrying and breaking twenty yards of metal from tbn Frankley Road pit. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile draw attention to their Stratford which they are holding on Tuesday, 17th inst. Particulars will be found in this issLe. The New Zealand Loan and Merean ; tile Agency Co., Ltd., wish to draw the attention of clients to their bull fair, which thej are. holding in their Stratford yards to-day, at 1 p.m. Pull particulars will be found in our advertising columns on page 8 of this issue,